Horror band not for faint-hearted

Theatrical and over-the-top barely even begin to describe the self-proclaimed horror band Creature Feature. The Los Angeles natives have a decent-sized discography, including American Gothic — the most recent release — and It Was a Dark and Stormy Night. As the costume trunks get put back in place and Halloween candy disappears, Creature Feature might just have to go as well, at least until next Halloween.

Listening to Creature Feature is a somewhat confusing experience. Electronic bass provides a backdrop to dark lyrics such as “The sun falls like a guillotine. The dark comes alive with the unsavory beings.” Vocalist and guitarist Curtis Rx has a deep and quavering voice that would be perfect for telling ghost stories around a campfire. Add a haunting organ to the electronic bass and creepy lyrics, and Creature Feature is pure Halloween.

Creature Feature is a one-stop shop for anyone looking for cheesy music to play at their next Halloween party. Creature Feature’s song “Death of a Doll Maker” would fit perfectly on a playlist, after Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and Halloween classic “The Monster Mash,” of course. The duo has been putting out novelty music since late 2007; the duo’s bio even claims the idea for Creature Feature was devised on Halloween.

Curtis Rx and keyboardist Erik X put forward a well-polished and professional front. Creature Feature’s brand is altogether histrionic and comical, as seen on their website and BandCamp. The level of professionalism put forward by the two band members shows that the band might be trying to be more than just a Halloween class act. Heavy lyrics heard in the song “Here There Be Witches” defeat any attempt for Creature Feature to be more than just a Halloween band: “Here there be witches save our souls have been lost and the panic grows. Spells cast over blood and broken bones.”

A live performance by the duo would be entertaining, if anything. Creature Feature is not necessarily scary in any way, but the lyrics and emphasis on things that own the night set the mood for what the band is ultimately attempting to do: entertain. Included in every biography is the phrase “We are Creature Feature and you’ll dig us like a grave!” The cliched catchphrase makes way for what is about to come when listening to Creature Feature’s electronic-goth beats.

Creature Feature might be perfect for a niche community filled with people who celebrate Halloween 365 days a year, but not for those who would rather not focus on one moment in time. Outside of Halloween, the best time to listen to Creature Feature might be when the hankering for crisp fallen leaves and days of tiny plastic pumpkins crammed with candy comes mid-March. But only then is the macabre music tolerable enough to listen to. While it is definitely not time to bring out the Christmas carols, it is time to put Creature Feature back on the shelf for a while, until next October brings back Halloween and all its glory.

Caroline Ackerman can be reached at samanthaj@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @TheSagebrush.